Curated OER
The Cold War: Civil Defense or Nuclear Disarmament?
Learners research the positions of civil defense and nuclear disarmament during the Cold War era. They participate in a class debate to support a given position.
Curated OER
Lena Horne: Race and the American Artist
Students examine how race played a critical role in Lena Horne's life. They conduct Internet research, participate in a class debate, write a letter, and create a presentation based on their Internet research.
Curated OER
Black Skin, White Justice: Race Matters in the Criminal Justice System
Students examine the effects of race in the criminal justice system. As a class, they brainstorm a list of instances when the offender has been an African American and he is not treated fairly in court based on his race. They analyze...
Curated OER
Census and Redistricting
Students learn why the census makes a difference. In this U.S. Census lesson plan, students learn about the methods and politics of redistricting as they explore their local congressional districts and debate the merits of different...
Curated OER
Federalist 47
Students will analyze and evaluate political propaganda. In this instructional activity on the Federalist movement, students will examine the Federalist papers and analyze the Anti-Federalist argument mage against constitutional...
Curated OER
Electing a president
Students create a list of characteristics of a president and reach consensus about the most important qualities. In this electing a President lesson, students work in groups to choose the most important traits of a president and...
Curated OER
Life, Camera, Action
Students investigate the history, politics and culture of Somalia. They analyze media coverage and portrayal of the country. They focus on the role of media in reporting on Somalia and the current debate over the film Black Hawk Down.
Curated OER
Compassion on Death Row?
Learners analyze and debate, through writing and discussion, the politics and ethics behind the ability of governors to grant clemency to inmates sentenced to the death penalty.
Curated OER
Ancient Egypt
Seventh graders examine the cultural expressions, cultural structures, and basic needs of the ancient Egyptians. They explore Egyptian religion, government, and daily lives of the various classes and how the geographical, social, and...
Curated OER
The Panic of 1837 And the Presidency of Martin Van Buren
Students analyze period political cartoons as they study the causes of the Panic of 1837. They use primary sources to evaluate President VanBuren's response to the panic and public opinion of the results of his policies. Then they...
Curated OER
To War Or Not To War?
Seventh graders research the political, societal, and economic factors of World War I, World War II, and the 2001 war against terrorism. They participate in class discussions, write journal entries, and conduct Internet research. ...
Curated OER
What Do We Owe To Thoreau?
Students use this design as an electronic reading and writing guide to Henry David Thoreau's famous essay, "On Civil Disobedience." They use activities to familiarize students with the political issues of Thoreau's time. Comprehension...
Curated OER
Gun Control and Terrorism: Laws or Loopholes?
Students examine the Second Amendment of the Constitution. They research and organize key arguments and other fundementals of gun control. They participate in a debate defending the wording of the Second Amendment.
Curated OER
Foreign War and Domestic Freedom: A Delicate Balancing Act
Students investigate civil liberties in the U.S. They watch and discuss a PowerPoint presentation, conduct research on an event from a timeline, complete a worksheet, take an ideology quiz, and conduct a debate.
Curated OER
Constitutional Convention
Students engage in a role-playing situation to illustrate the kinds of compromised that were made a teh Constitutional Convention. They write three short 1-2 paragraph arguments and then present their arguments to the class at the...
Curated OER
Rome: Republic to Empire
Sixth graders discuss the rise of Rome from a republic to a dictatorship. In small groups, they role-play as congress people debating whether or not to give the president more powers. In another activity, 6th graders produce television...
Curated OER
Italian Enemy Aliens During World War II: Evacuation from Prohibited Zones
Students read and discuss the Enemy Alien Evacuation Order. They perform research by reading newspaper articles from February 1942 as well as investigating available information on the Internet. Students work in groups to create a...
Curated OER
Is Our Electoral System Fair?
In this U.K. government worksheet, students study the electoral system of the United Kingdom as they read a 3 page article and complete up to 6 activities based on the topic. A debate form with 10 points pertaining to the topic is...
Curated OER
ESL/EFL Lesson - Impeach Tony Blair?
In this ESL/EFL reading comprehension lesson, students read an article entitled, "Impeach Tony Blair." They participate in discussion activities, debates, and answer a variety of question types based on their comprehension of the article.
Curated OER
Get the Facts on the Candidates
High schoolers work in teams to research candidates from a current political race. They access primary and secondary resources and differentiate between fact and opinion. Students present their findings to the class in an oral report and...
Youth Leadership Initiative
Selecting a President: Primaries and Caucuses
What is a party caucus anyway? And what part do caucuses play in the primaries? Everything future voters need to know about the four stages in the presidential selection process is provided by this resource. The 2012 US...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Arizona v. United States — States and Immigration Law
As part of a study of immigration law, class members read a summary of the Supreme Court case, Arizona v. United States. They then examine a series of examples and acting as federal court judges, must determine if the scenarios...
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
Reconstruction
When slavery ended, what did the government do to help African American during Reconstruction? An interesting instructional activity uses primary sources such as newspaper articles to help scholars analyze Reconstruction policies and how...
Brown University
The Candidates and Their Values: Election 2016
Voting for the next president of the United States is about finding the candidate who most closely aligns with your own values and sense of democracy. High schoolers become acquainted with the candidates from the 2016 election with a...